After It All Ends
by Sweet Darkling
Summary: Post-series finale, Buffy and her Scooby gang have moved to a new city and life's going along nicely and peacefully. A little too peacefully. The kind of peaceful that's often the eye of a storm. Then Angel calls, Oz arrives and what's going on?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer****:** I only play with the Buffy world. No ownage involved.

**Author's note****:** Here's my first attempt at a Buffy story, due to be multi-chaptered. I started getting interested in what would happen _after_ the series finale and how the characters would react to it all, because of the whole "be careful what you wish for" thing and it's all bound to leave some scars. There's not much action in this chapter but the next one's going to start things rolling.

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After It All Ends

I

It was a long walk home. It was only a short bus ride but she was in one of her crappy moods and Buffy figured that she might as well tame her temper (or try to) and that required time. So here she was, walking home by the longest route possible, wrapping her coat tightly around herself and willing herself to not think because thinking, as she'd found out over the last few months, was a bad, _bad_ thing when it came to her. It brought her bitter memories and confusing nostalgia and wondering what-if's and wasn't she supposed to be happy?

She got her happily-ever-after, or the slayer equivalent. She was no longer the sole Slayer. She had plenty of help if the world ever nearly came to an end again. She was free to be a normal twenty-something woman, or close to it. And she wasn't happy. In her rare, truly honest moments, she even admitted that she was unhappy but she couldn't seem to work out why; not entirely to her satisfaction anyway.

"Hey, you're home," And Buffy felt like, yeah, maybe she was because Dawn's smile was so warm and loving and _god_ she was glad she had her fake real sister with her. "I was wondering if something came up, like, _you_ know..."

Of course she did. "Nah, I just thought I'd walk home. I just needed some air. Long day at work today..." With disgusting, annoying, sweaty, smelly customers at the burger joint. Was she really so hopeless that she couldn't get a better job? At least she was doing part-time college now. That was something normal and happy and she should be grateful for that. And wasn't Willow supposed to be coming over today?

"Willow said she'll drop by after dinner. She's bringing us dessert." Not for the first time Buffy wondered if Dawn was a mind-reader. She could be incredibly dense and obtuse at times and then others, it was almost like she was having a conversation with what Buffy was thinking. It was kind of creepy but also semi-cool and totally not worth probing into. Of course, there were those thoughts about Spike and sex and...ok, maybe she should look into it. She really, _really_ hoped that Dawn couldn't read her mind when she had been with Spike... _That_ would be majorly awkward.

But first, "Cool, what's for dinner? Or am I cooking it tonight?" She wasn't in the mood for cooking but eating she could do happily, especially if dessert was involved later.

"Nah, I cooked for us. Well, it's just pasta with pesto-"

"Pasta with pesto sounds great." And she genuinely meant, along with the smile she was smiling at Dawn now. It was definitely more than anything she could have cooked tonight. "Thanks, Dawn. Anyway, how was school and things and...everything?"

"Oh, yeah, it was _great_." Dawn lied unconvincingly.

"Dawn," Buffy drawled with amusement. "Ok, what's wrong? What's wrong with school?" Mentally, she went through the usual suspects – boys, friends, popularity, work, cheerleaders (they still annoyed the hell out of Buffy and this was after everything went to hell, practically literally), clothes, make-up...although those two kind of tied in with the whole popularity thing.

"No, really, it's great." Even Dawn couldn't fool herself into thinking that her smile was persuasive. And seeing the knowing look on Buffy's face crumbled any desire she had to not overburden her sister with the desire to share, to connect and be understood. "Ok, it all just seems so...pointless. After _everything_ we've been through, after everything we've seen and done, who the hell cares about trigonometry and...and old, dead presidents and stupid things like that? It just doesn't seem...relevant or important. Know what I mean?" She added almost shyly, hoping that Buffy _did_ understand.

"Yeah, I felt the same way but...you sort of need to pass those classes to graduate and then go to college. And you _really_ need to go to college to get a decent job. Trust me, burger joints are only fun to work in on TV. Reality sucks."

"Yeah, I guess," Dawn half-shrugged. Even if she agreed with her sister, it didn't mean she had to like it. And _man_ she really hated history. It wasn't even interesting history, like the Spanish civil war or the French Revolution. Dead presidents were just painfully dull. "Anyway, dinner time?" she said hopefully.

It was eleven before Willow left, leaving behind the apple pie that she'd made. It meant bed time for both Dawn and Buffy because Andrew and Xander were the ones patrolling today (with her and Willow's number on constant speed dial, of course). It meant Buffy got a few nights to herself, which was great and she'd loved it, at first. Now, it kind of...bored her. This whole city was dead, or rather, not undead enough. There wasn't much happening and she was feeling a certain Slayer restlessness and she was now back to wondering what the hell was wrong with her and what was wrong with this life? Because she was really starting to think that maybe there was something _actually_ wrong, not psychologically or emotionally with her but something...solid or supernatural or aura-wise or something. And she was far too moody and sleepy to deal with it today so maybe she'll start focussing on it tomorrow? Not like there was any huge threat to deal with right now anyway. And she was back to missing life in Sunnydale, whatever the hell it had been. Ah well, new day, new beginning or something like that, and she'd work everything out tomorrow. This town was really far too quiet and she'd learnt by now that that usually meant it was the eye of the storm. So all she really had to do was work out what storm this was. No biggie.

"Dawny? I was thinking we should have a meeting tomorrow, the whole Scooby gang. I've got a feeling something's coming up."

"Yeah, it's way too quiet, right?" came the muffled reply from Dawn's room. When had she become so...perceptive?

"Exactly what I'm thinking," She paused, as another idea took form. "Hey, what kind of cookies should we have tomorrow?"

"Ooh, coconut, chocolate chip and hazelnuts?"

"Three kinds of cookies?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. That was going too far, even for her.

"No, like, all together." Dawn popped her head out of her room to look appraisingly at her sister. "I'm going to have to make it, aren't I?"

"Sorry kiddo. I bring home the bacon, you cook it. That's what the partnership is all about." Buffy replied perkily, contemplating what coconut, chocolate chips and hazelnut would take like together.

"Hey Buff?" She sounded so tentative that Buffy turned around to look at her, puzzlement spread across her face. "I miss him too, you know. I sort of...miss him a lot."

"Who?" The question left her lips before she could take it back because of course Buffy knew who she was talking about. She just hadn't known that Dawn was missing him as well, enough to mention it.

"Spike." She said quietly before closing the door to her room and leaving Buffy outside in the hallway, back to thinking about Sunnydale, missing the fights and the people and the home, and Spike.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer****:** Don't own Buffy. There'd be a lot less Angel, a lot more Spike if I did.

**Author's Note****:** So the plot is slowly forming, thickening, fermenting even. And this is the product. Spike fans, do not despair. He'll be back and it's part of the plot. So just bide your time. Hope you guys like it.

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After It All Ends

Chapter II

"Buffy, what's this meeting about?" Giles confusedly rubbed his glasses, his mind far more preoccupied with deciding whether to taste the cookies or not. Dawn was a far better cook than Buffy had ever been but that didn't mean her cooking was edible. Although the cookies did smell appetising.

"It's too quiet."

"Wharf shoo qwait?" Even though Xander spoke with his mouthful, the others had learnt to interpret it and Buffy had no hesitation in answering his almost incoherent question.

"Everything's too quiet. I mean, this city is dead. Well, not _dead_ dead, or _undead_ dead but dead quiet. And I haven't heard much from any of the other slayers, so it sounds like everything's quiet, which means that the big bad baddies are plotting something."

"Buffy?" Willow asked tentatively. She had that look on her face, the one when she was going to say something unpleasant that she really didn't want to say and was afraid of the consequences and sometimes, like right now, it really pissed Buffy off like nothing else, because, seriously, get a damn poker face or suck it up and tell it straight.

Instead, Buffy carefully controlled her voice to be light. "Yeah, Willow?"

"Well, it's just that, you know, the other slayers have each other. So they're not necessarily going to call you for help. I mean, for the big stuff, of course they're going to call you. But if there's a bunch of small stuff going on, they may not."

"I _know_ that. But I also know that I've been keeping in touch with them, keeping an eye on everything that might be going on and, honestly, _nothing_ is going on. Which usually means that something _big_ is going on. See what I'm getting at?"

It was clearly writ across Willow's face that she disagreed, but before she could say anything, Dawn chimed in. "I agree." Seeing the startled looks across the room, she hurried on, "I mean, I know I'm relatively 'new' to the whole _thing_ but, well, Buffy's instincts are pretty reliable. And even I've noticed that it's been too quiet."

"Aw, Dawny," Buffy wondered if Willow was intentionally being patronising, because it sure came across that way. And how much was it _against_ the code of Slayerhood to kill a friend? Were there exceptions if that friend was _really_ annoying or _really_ conceited?

Before her itching fingers could reach the dagger that was _so_ close to her, the phone rang. Divine intervention, Buffy presumed, to stop her from being an eternally damned Slayer or something. And to stop her from pissing Giles off. That would be bad. That would be _very_ bad.

"Hello?" There was silence. Before she could slam the phone down, a familiar voice came through.

"Buffy," Angel's voice was intense as always and it brought up familiar feelings in Buffy as always. Like concern about what could be so bad that he has to call her.

"Angel. Hi," She could feel the sudden tension in the air and there was a very small part of her that felt smug towards Willow. "What's up?"

"There's something big happening," Came his cryptic reply. "I need to see you. I'm flying in tomorrow and I'll come by yours."

She was human enough and petty enough to be irritated by the fact that he just _assumed_ she would have nothing better to do than to have him come round. The fact that he was right pissed her off all the more and she honestly wondered what was happening to her, for her to be so irritated, first by Willow and now by Angel, when yet another possible end-of-the-world scenario could be coming up. She didn't remember being this...emotional, back in Sunnydale. "Yeah, that would be fine but what _is_ going on, Angel? All I've noticed so far is that everything's way too quiet."

There was a further cryptic silence, as Angel clearly debated what to say or how much to say and Buffy was so focussed on interpreting this silence that she didn't hear the doorbell ring or hear Giles mutter quietly that he'll get it.

"Angel, come _on_, you know I need to know this. And you know you're going to tell me eventually. You might as well give me a heads up so that we can get some research done by the time you get here." Buffy heard a surprised "_what?_" from Dawn but ignored it, focussing instead on wheedling some more information from the reticent vampire.

"I don't know much." He finally said. "All I know is that vampires are being killed by someone or something that isn't a slayer or, well, me and one of my guys. And there's silence on all of the other monster fronts. It's starting to look like something has taken control and we're not sure what. I'll be over tomorrow with more information." Another one of his infamous pregnant silences took place and then, "Goodbye Buffy. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sighing, she turned around and her mouth, that had opened to discuss Angel's news and impending arrival, instead remained open as she stared at the latest addition to the Scooby meeting.

Clearing his throat a little uncomfortably, Giles began. "So...you've noticed Oz. As it turns out, he was a little concerned about things too. So it seems like we have a lot to discuss. Was that Angel on the phone? Is he_ coming_ here tomorrow?"

She snapped out of her daze. "Er...yeah, yes it was. He's...flying down now, I guess. And meeting us here tomorrow."

"Guess we're having _another_ meeting tomorrow then," Dawn grumbled, staring at the pile of cookies that was almost gone. She didn't mind cooking. She actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It's just that she would have appreciated some warning so that she could fit the baking in between homework and hanging out with the few friends she could stand in her new school. It didn't help that she didn't really like Angel that much. He wasn't fun to be around, he didn't crack jokes and he was more overprotective than Buffy, _without_ having the excuse of being an older sibling. That was unforgivable in Dawn's eyes.

"Yeah, that's probably the best idea anyway." Oz finally spoke up, uncomfortable aware of all eyes being trained on him. "The Pack has found out about a few happenings we thought you might be interested in-"

"The pack?" Willow turned scarlet as she asked.

"Yeah, there's a few of us...werewolves...and we kind of banded together. Making us a pack of werewolves, or whatever."

"Is that safe?" Willow could have kicked herself for saying that. She literally could've, she was almost certain she knew a spell to do it. What she couldn't do, and wouldn't try, was to take back all the foot-in-mouth moments she was having today. Firstly, phrasing her doubts so that it sounded like she wasn't giving Buffy a fair go, then talking like Dawn was still a kid, and now questioning Oz on the safety of being around other werewolves? It felt like nothing she could say or do right today. Her day in college had been even worse. She'd come across like some conceited know-it-all bitch, she'd been dismissive of some of the feminists and she'd managed to even annoy her professor. It just wasn't her day. It felt like it hadn't been her a day in a long time. Since Tara had died, in fact. And she hated feeling so _lost_ and wrong and like everything was wrong. She wished she could do something about it but all she could do was suck it up and deal with the guarded, defensive look Oz was giving her now.

"It _is_ safe. When we're all wolves together, we can keep each other under control. It actually helps a lot with the animal instinct. Anyway, I should probably head off now. I just wanted to make sure if it was ok for all of us to come and talk to you tomorrow but I can just represent them all."

"No, no, of course all of you can come. Just give us a rough number. So that we have enough cookies," Buffy explained, reminding herself to _seriously_ talk to Willow about tact and thinking before talking. Wasn't that a lesson she should've learnt when she was seven or something? "Angel's coming by tomorrow with some news too, so it could like the good old times. End of the world, good food, cookies. Hey, we could have some milk with the cookies too!" She was rewarded with a small smile as Oz left.

"_Willow_, are we going to have to chat about that whole 'thinking before talking' thing again?"

"I know, I know, I can't believe I said that," Willow burrowed her face into her hands. "I just can't seem to say anything right today. I think I'm gonna call it a night, guys. I'll see you tomorrow. If I don't get clobbered to death because of somebody else I manage to annoy in the meantime."

They all took this as their cues to leave. After they had all left, with their differing goodbyes and Xander's inappropriate comments, Buffy and Dawn were left alone to clear the tables when Buffy abruptly said, "You've got good instincts."

"I do?" Dawn felt herself perk up.

"Yeah, you do." Buffy didn't have to say anything. Dawn could read the approval between the lines. It was kinda nice to have an older sister who would back you up when you disagreed with their friends. It was also kinda nice to know that your instincts were along the right lines. Maybe she could actually help out properly this year? Not that she was hoping the world would nearly end or anything, but it would be nice to be a proper part of the group. It's partially why she missed Spike so much. He never treated her like a _baby_ baby. Sure, he was protective but he also joked around with her about inappropriate things, didn't nag her about bed-time or homework and he...just treated her like a _friend_. She missed that. She missed him a lot. She missed his jokes and the way he pissed everyone off, she missed the way he'd give her tips about fighting and how to mouth off someone in those stand-off kind of situations. She missed how Buffy used to be simultaneously annoyed and amused when he was around and how _content_ she seemed. She wished she could bring Spike back but she'd learnt from her mistakes with Buffy. He could be in a happy place and she _so_ didn't want to bring him back from there, if he was.


End file.
